Hyderabad:

Now 70, the star began his career at the tender age of three, and since then, has shaped Indian cinema through his talents as an actor, writer, lyricist, choreographer, and filmmaker. Yet, in one of his most candid reflections to date, Haasan admitted that despite this extraordinary legacy, there was a point in his life when he stopped learning, not out of complacency, but out of "avarice."

"I like money. I want it to come to me," Haasan said. "Because of my work schedule, I stopped seeking more gurus. I think my avarice for money stopped me from learning. Otherwise, I would have learned more..."

Veteran actor, director, and producer Kamal Haasan, a towering figure in Indian cinema for more than six decades, has opened up like never before in an interview with a news agency. From discussing the lure of money to the loneliness of stardom and his views on legacy, artificial intelligence, and creative fulfilment, Haasan offered rare insights into his complex journey and philosophy.

This honesty runs through his entire conversation. A man celebrated for his artistic genius and widely credited for bridging the north-south cinematic divide long before the idea of 'pan-India' became fashionable, Haasan doesn't shy away from acknowledging his flaws and contradictions.

"The beauty of cinema is that you can reach a larger demographic," Haasan said, "but it also takes you away from the actual witnessing of your applause. So, you distance yourself, and arrogance sets in because you don't hear criticism, nor do you hear applause. It all comes through reporting to us, or when you meet your fans and they cheer you, but that's not the actual data."

Having acted in over 230 films, Haasan is currently promoting his upcoming film Thug Life, directed by Mani Ratnam, reuniting the powerhouse duo after 38 years since their collaboration on Nayakan. The film is slated for theatrical release in multiple languages on June 5 and marks another milestone in a career that constantly seeks reinvention.

Haasan, who has also directed films such as Hey Ram and Vishwaroopam, said that the pressures of stardom are often underestimated, particularly when the people around you attempt to keep your "feet from touching the ground."

"It is very difficult for stars because the inner circle is always trying to carry them aloft," he said. "Stardom's evil partner is arrogance. It's hard to stay grounded."

Despite having spent more than 65 years in cinema, Haasan is far from feeling content or complacent. When asked if he ever felt like giving himself a pat on the back for all his accomplishments, his response was philosophical.

"My favourite writer, Jayakanthan, says, 'Once you climb Everest, don't stay on top because there is no place to stay. Then you will cling on to it and won't let anyone else climb it'. And you become eccentric, literally, because you're not at the centre of people," he said.

Raised by a lawyer father who admired Mahatma Gandhi and changed the family surname to 'Haasan' as a symbolic gesture, Kamal Haasan's own worldview has been shaped as much by literature and philosophy as by cinema. A self-described "child of cinema," Haasan won the Presidential Medal for his performance in Kalathur Kannamma at just five years old. Still, his early sense of exceptionalism was short-lived.

"I thought of myself as an extraordinary and gifted child," Haasan said. "That is a complacency that went away when I was seven or eight. I realised that there are many more talented children who could have eaten me for breakfast. That's when I panicked. I don't know whether to call it graduation or experience, or immersion, but from cinema I went to theatre."

Unlike most actors who begin on stage and then transition to the big screen, Haasan did the reverse, and in doing so, was confronted by talent that shook his confidence. "At first, I suffered from an inferiority complex, and then they accepted me and I realised I have to keep learning more," he added.

His latest film Thug Life is produced by his own Raaj Kamal Films International in collaboration with Ratnam's Madras Talkies. It's a creative reunion both had long anticipated but postponed due to apprehension and the weight of expectations surrounding their previous masterpiece, Nayakan.

"At first, we wanted to collaborate, but we were apprehensive about how this would turn out and how all eyes were on us. We were scared. I thought, 'Let them forget Nayakan and then we'll make another.’ And they refuse to forget Nayakan. That's one of the reasons why it got delayed," Haasan said.

Interestingly, the two never formalised how to handle creative differences during the making of Thug Life. "We never set the rules of the game," Haasan said. Their 44-year-old friendship created a shorthand on set that made observers believe scenes had already been rehearsed.

Despite his prolific body of work, Haasan is selective about the films he holds closest. "In a career of more than 230 films, there are only a dozen or so films I consider among my best," he said, citing Sagara Sangamam and Nayakan among them. These films still have the power to move him. "Public confession? Yes, I do. It doesn't matter whether it's Kamal Haasan or any other actor, if the scene is pertinent and touches me, I can... There are films like that, they'll make you cry after 40 years, 50 years.”

Haasan's hunger for knowledge remains undiminished. He spent three months in the United States last year studying artificial intelligence - a topic he believes will significantly shape the future of storytelling and humanity. And what about legacy? What does Kamal Haasan want someone flipping through a cinema history book in 2075 to remember about him?

"I hope they remember my name. They'll confuse me for some other guy, and I will take his credit for no reason," he said with a laugh. "After some time, people vaguely say, 'Who did that film?' Was it Buster Keaton or Chaplin? …I'm going to be lost in that crowd, and I'm happy to be (lost), as long as someone with a microscope is looking for me and still finds me."

When asked whether he has considered taking a backseat, Haasan smiled and replied, "That age will tell me, achievements won't. They may not even convince you. Age will convince you, it's yet to convince me."In Kamal Haasan’s world, learning is never finished, applause is always fleeting, and the pursuit of meaningful work continues - even if the world forgets, he is determined to keep evolving. (With PTI inputs)

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